Rock Hudson (1990) (TV)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

John Nicolella

Writer (WGA):

Dennis Turner (written by)

Release Date:

8 January 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

Biography of actor Rock Hudson focuses on his struggle with his homosexuality. Based on the book by his ex-wife...

Plot Keywords:

Actor | Homosexual | AIDS | Closeted Homosexual | Gay Interest

Cast

Thomas Ian Griffith	...	Rock Hudson
Daphne Ashbrook	...	Phyllis Gates
William R. Moses	...	Marc Christian
Andrew Robinson	...	Henry Willson
Thom Mathews	...	Tim Murphy
Michael Ensign	...	Mark Miller
Diane Ladd	...	Kay
Don Galloway	...	John Frankenheimer
Mathieu Carrière	...	French Doctor
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Raoul Walsh (as Larry Dobkin)
Jean Kasem	...	Madge
George Christy	...	Reporter
John Shepard	...	Robert Stack (Fighter Squadron Captain)
Francis Guinan	...	Carl
Rhoda Gemignani	...	TV producer

Runtime:

USA:100 min | Australia:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG

Company:

Konigsberg International

Huge Gaps Weaken this Movie

First of all this movie was made for television. Plot-wise it has a cheap movie of the week feel. The acting isn't bad. In fact the leads are all quite good and in some cases stellar. Any weaknesses in performances have more to do with really bad makeup. The ageing is horribly done and not very convincing.

At one point "Rock" says, "some poor woman is missing her makeup kit" and it led me to wonder if the "poor woman" was in fact the film's makeup director. Dreadful stuff.

A few others have commented on the accuracy of the characterizations -- I believe they're alluding to whether Rock Hudson gave Mark Christian AIDS without telling him he had it -- perhaps the most damning (and criminal) thing in the film. I'm not sure anyone knows other than the principles. George Nader is missing from the entire film.

There are some serious gaps in this film. Massive gaps actually. The film presents the picture that Hudson's career was over by the mid 1960s and he retired from acting. Nothing could be further from the truth. The film omits the SEVEN seasons Rock Hudson played the lead in McMillan & Wife -- the popular detective series of the 1970s. For many of us it was our first introduction to Hudson.

The other gap is the unbelievable prudishness in presenting Hudson's relationships. No kisses and very little tenderness. It is deceptive and a lie to present his relationships this way.

There's a better film out there demanding to be made.